Are you not losing weight fast enough?
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xKoalaBearx
Posts: 181 Member
I realized something recently, and it has completely helped me to overcome how bad I have felt when the scale doesn't say what I want it to say....
Being on Nutrisystem, we naturally focus on the number on the scale. And in addition we focus on some time frame associated with that number. "I lost 5 pounds in 7 days." "I need to lose 2 pounds this week, because I didn't lose any last week." "I only lost 1/2 pound in the past month." Etc.
As I go through this journey, I'm thinking maybe some of us have been focusing on the wrong things, and this could be what causes our stress.... maybe we need to focus on the process of nutrisystem and eating/living healthy. That magical number is just a by-product of us living healthy. The time frame will be whatever time frame it takes our bodies to get to by us living healthy.
So what I mean is that.... I've stopped my unhealthy dietary habits, I now eat within an hour of waking, every 3 hours after, 6 times a day, with plenty of water, at least 4 servings of veggies. I exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. I'm doing so much better than I was before NS.
I'm not going to worry about getting healthy, because I'M ALREADY THERE. The scale numbers will follow as a side effect of me living healthy, and not the other way around.... Plenty of people lose the weight, have a great looking number on the scale but still aren't healthy... anorexia or bulemia for example. So the numbers don't mean much unless you're living healthy.
Now, there's also no time frame we can really put on this. I think it's really stressful to say, "I need to lose X pounds by summer." or "I need to lose Y pounds this week." Why do I need to lose it by then? What's going to happpen at X pounds? Am I going to be healthier? Am I going to look that much better if I lose 2 pounds or 1 pound?
This is supposed to be a lifelong change. One or two pounds is nothing in the entire scheme of it all. We're supposed to be learning how to be healthy. If it happens this week, or next. This month or next month. Does it really matter over the long run? It's not like I'm going to start behaving unhealthy once I reach my goal weight right? Or am I just lying to myself, and I plan on going right back to the bad habits I once had once I reach my goal weight? I had to be honest with myself.... I think I was planning that very thing.
So I think that we need to walk the walk... be healthy... and enjoy how much better we already feel, how our clothes already look on us, how much energy we are starting to have. We should still look at the scale, but feel comforted in the fact that if we are living healthy, the numbers will eventually follow. And we need to do this for the rest of our lives, or just fall right back to where we were before starting this journey.
My scale has gone flat or up plenty of times in my journey, but I no longer stress about it, because I know I have been living healthier than I've ever been, I know I am following the system, and I've seen the scale numbers drop over and over again.... eventually.
Maybe just change our focus.
Keep fighting!!
Being on Nutrisystem, we naturally focus on the number on the scale. And in addition we focus on some time frame associated with that number. "I lost 5 pounds in 7 days." "I need to lose 2 pounds this week, because I didn't lose any last week." "I only lost 1/2 pound in the past month." Etc.
As I go through this journey, I'm thinking maybe some of us have been focusing on the wrong things, and this could be what causes our stress.... maybe we need to focus on the process of nutrisystem and eating/living healthy. That magical number is just a by-product of us living healthy. The time frame will be whatever time frame it takes our bodies to get to by us living healthy.
So what I mean is that.... I've stopped my unhealthy dietary habits, I now eat within an hour of waking, every 3 hours after, 6 times a day, with plenty of water, at least 4 servings of veggies. I exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. I'm doing so much better than I was before NS.
I'm not going to worry about getting healthy, because I'M ALREADY THERE. The scale numbers will follow as a side effect of me living healthy, and not the other way around.... Plenty of people lose the weight, have a great looking number on the scale but still aren't healthy... anorexia or bulemia for example. So the numbers don't mean much unless you're living healthy.
Now, there's also no time frame we can really put on this. I think it's really stressful to say, "I need to lose X pounds by summer." or "I need to lose Y pounds this week." Why do I need to lose it by then? What's going to happpen at X pounds? Am I going to be healthier? Am I going to look that much better if I lose 2 pounds or 1 pound?
This is supposed to be a lifelong change. One or two pounds is nothing in the entire scheme of it all. We're supposed to be learning how to be healthy. If it happens this week, or next. This month or next month. Does it really matter over the long run? It's not like I'm going to start behaving unhealthy once I reach my goal weight right? Or am I just lying to myself, and I plan on going right back to the bad habits I once had once I reach my goal weight? I had to be honest with myself.... I think I was planning that very thing.
So I think that we need to walk the walk... be healthy... and enjoy how much better we already feel, how our clothes already look on us, how much energy we are starting to have. We should still look at the scale, but feel comforted in the fact that if we are living healthy, the numbers will eventually follow. And we need to do this for the rest of our lives, or just fall right back to where we were before starting this journey.
My scale has gone flat or up plenty of times in my journey, but I no longer stress about it, because I know I have been living healthier than I've ever been, I know I am following the system, and I've seen the scale numbers drop over and over again.... eventually.
Maybe just change our focus.
Keep fighting!!
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Well said!0
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Ahhhh.....here it is! Love this blog. Ty for bringing it here!!0
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Glad it helps P~.
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Saw you post this on the ns site and hoped you would share it here!!!! So glad you did!!!!0
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Truth in what you said, but I ate pretty healthy before NS because of my family history of heart disease and diabetes, and didn't lost weight then either. Maybe it's because I'm a 61 year old woman and my metabolism doesn't exist. I've been at a plateau since April and haven't lost anymore since then. The weight goes up a pound or two and then down, then up. I've never gotten past the original 10 pounds I lost back in April. I walk a lot each day and stand up to work at my desk so I'm not sure what else to try.0
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Truth in what you said, but I ate pretty healthy before NS because of my family history of heart disease and diabetes, and didn't lost weight then either. Maybe it's because I'm a 61 year old woman and my metabolism doesn't exist. I've been at a plateau since April and haven't lost anymore since then. The weight goes up a pound or two and then down, then up. I've never gotten past the original 10 pounds I lost back in April. I walk a lot each day and stand up to work at my desk so I'm not sure what else to try.
A lot of times it comes from underestimating our calories. Are you logging in your foods? Especially the non-NS foods? For me, this is my biggest hurdle. I am a terrible guesstimator. I frequently have to weigh or measure my foods to make sure it's accurate and then enter into MFP.
Keep fighting!!0 -
I'm just a tad bit OCD about logging my foods, even the non-NS foods, and I scan the bar codes so that there's no estimating, and I obsessively measure everything. So, I don't think that's the issue. I'll keep going for a little while longer and hopefully I'll start to lose again. I'm probably obsessing too much about not losing weight and maybe that's not helping either. xKoalaBearx - do you switch your meals/foods around? Just curious. Thanks! 0
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This was soo perfect Koala!! Love your posts!! Thank you soo much for sharing this!!
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Thanks Suzi!
Lynn - I actually have permanently switched my lunches and dinners. I find the dinners heavy, especially sodium, so I like eating it earlier in the day and having a lighter dinner. It also gives me time to drink plenty of water to flush out the sodium. It worked to get me out of my plateau many months ago, and I just kept it.
Also, have you checked your measurements? Are your pants fitting better. Sometimes I don't lose weight, but I keep having to buy new pants because the waist gets so loose.0 -
xKoalaBearx - Some of my pants/slacks are fitting looser, but not as much as I thought that they would by now. I'll have to check my measurements to see if any have changed. Maybe I'll try permanently switching the lunches and dinners and see if that helps me. I prefer eating lighter in the evening also. I drink lots more water than I used to - usually only have 2 cups of coffee a day, if that, which is a huge change for me.0
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Hang in there Lynn. I'm sure the scale will follow your healthy lifestyle eventually.0
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Thanks! I hope so!0
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If it's any consolation, kindof ground to a halt and actually gained a pound in the last couple of weeks (which ticked me off because I've been doing really well at exercise the past 2 weeks) I'm switching my stuff around this week also, and this morning I was almost back to where I was so I am hopeful that dinner for lunch is going to work for me also.0
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pattyperkins - I totally understand and can relate. Since I lost the initial 10 pounds (from February 8th or so until April 19th), it's gone above the 10 pounds, back down to the 10 pounds, back up, etc. I have yet to go below the 10 pounds that I lost even though I exercise pretty consistently. Getting older sucks when it comes to weight loss! 0
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Since I've been logging, I'm more aware of the amount of sodium in foods. I rarely add salt to my meals and I don't pick foods that you'd expect would be salty. I'm losing slowly, but as the OP said (and said it very well), I'm making healthier choices. I'm cooking more from scratch than I've done in a long time and I'm browsing cookbooks like Hungry Girl for good options. I made her Classic Egg Mug today. Yum.0
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pattyperkins - I totally understand and can relate. Since I lost the initial 10 pounds (from February 8th or so until April 19th), it's gone above the 10 pounds, back down to the 10 pounds, back up, etc. I have yet to go below the 10 pounds that I lost even though I exercise pretty consistently. Getting older sucks when it comes to weight loss!
Boy can I relate to this! I was up 2.4 pounds last week (for no apparent reason) and 8 days later I'm still trying to get them off.0 -
pattyperkins - I totally understand and can relate. Since I lost the initial 10 pounds (from February 8th or so until April 19th), it's gone above the 10 pounds, back down to the 10 pounds, back up, etc. I have yet to go below the 10 pounds that I lost even though I exercise pretty consistently. Getting older sucks when it comes to weight loss!
Boy can I relate to this! I was up 2.4 pounds last week (for no apparent reason) and 8 days later I'm still trying to get them off.
Thanks Peggy! It helps to know someone else is on this same 'ride'.0 -
yes, glad to hear it's not just me. I haven't posted my weight for about 2 weeks now because it sure hasn't gone down! I'm hoping that *Maybe* by this Sunday I have a few ounces to show for it at least now that I'm back in the neighborhood of where I was a couple of weeks ago!!
Regardless, I d think I like eating dinner for lunch ---I'd really rather eat lighter at night anyway so I'm hoping it all works out well 0 -
Were you thirsty in the evening eating your dinner at dinner time? I am, (actually I'm thirsty all day with this food). But at night it's bad because I drink water and then I'm up 3 times during the night.xKoalaBearx wrote: »Thanks Suzi!
Lynn - I actually have permanently switched my lunches and dinners. I find the dinners heavy, especially sodium, so I like eating it earlier in the day and having a lighter dinner. It also gives me time to drink plenty of water to flush out the sodium. It worked to get me out of my plateau many months ago, and I just kept it.
Also, have you checked your measurements? Are your pants fitting better. Sometimes I don't lose weight, but I keep having to buy new pants because the waist gets so loose.
How long did it take you to adjust to flipping your lunch and dinner? I'm going to try it.
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I have never completely been happy with the whole scale weighing, but I must say it is important along with eating healthy, exercising. The reason I'm saying this, is because I let Six months go by before NS and never got on that scale, and guess what? A huge shock! of how much weight I had gained. No kidding! Some women & Men need to see that number regardless if their clothes are fitting better, or their feeling better. I know I need to see the number once a week so I can stay in control of my weight. I get what you're saying, and Kudo's to you that it's working for you, and many other's. But I still need the scale in my life. Happy Monday!0
